Car coupler



Oct. 18, 1932. W, 1 REGAN ET AL 1,882,899

CAR COUPLER Filed May 29. 1929 WIr/fm f@ m Il' A Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN ortica@ WILLIAM .1. REGAN, oF wILKINsBURiG, AND ENooH GEORGE, JR., oF PITTSBRGH, PENN- SYLVANIA, AssIGNoRs To THE MccoNWAY @a TORLEY COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION oF PENNSYLVANIA CAR COUPLER Application fued may 29,

Our invention relates to carcouplers which are designed to be capable of lateral swinging movements when thev cars upon which they are mounted pass around curves in the railway track.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and dura-ble jointed car coupler whose parts are normally retained in assembled relation and which may be pivotally connected to the draft gear with which it is associated in a reliable manner.

A primary feature of the invention consists in forming the rear section of the coupler shank as a bearing block having a rear face aording an extended contact with the forward follower of the draft gear and having a concavely curved forward face which cooperates with the curved rear end of the forward or main body section of the coupler, the two coupler sections being provided with vertically alined openings for receiving a cylindrical bushing which constitutes means for retaining these parts of the coupler in assembled relation.

There are other features of invention pertaining to advantageous structural forms and relations of parts, as will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupler and its associated draft yoke, portions of the latter being broken away and the forward follower being diagrammatically indicated by dot and dash lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the construction shown in Figure 1, the forward follower and the cushioning unit of the draft gear being illustrated in dot and dash lines.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pivoted bearing block forming the rear section of the coupler.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the pivoted bearing block.

The car coupler is formed of two principal sections that are pivotally connected. The forward or main body section 1 of the coupler is, as usual, provided with a head (not shown) for receiving the knuckle and other operating parts. The shank portion of this coupler sec- 1929. Serial No. 367,070.

tion is provided near its rear end with a vertically extending cylindrical opening 2 which may be conveniently formed by coring or drilling. The portion of the shank member 1 which borders the opening 2 is somewhat reduced in height, b'oth above and below, as indicated at 3,;and the rear end 4 of said shank is curved cylindrically so as to be concentric with the said hole. y

The' rear section or bearing block member 5 ofthe coupler is formed with a flat rear face 6 which Ais adapted to bear against and have extended contact with the forward face of the follower 7 of the draft gear in all positions of lateral displacement the' coupler member l may assume in service. The block 5 is provided intermediate its ends with a concave cylindrical bea-ring surface 8 whose curvature corresponds to that of the convexly curved rear endflof the forward coupler section 1. The b-lock`5 thus provides a large bearing surface for' the end of the coupler shank section 1 in the various positions the latter may assume in service. In order that the shank section l and the butt end or bearing block section 5 may become an assembled unit whichI can' be so shipped and is ready for immediaterconnection to the draft gear, the pivot block 5 is formed with forwardly pro-` j ecting vertically spaced arm portions 9 having circular openings 10 adapted to receive a sleeve or bushing 11 which extends through the cylindrical opening 2 in the forward section of the coupler. ,Y The arms 9 of the bearing block overlap the portion of the shank section which is of reduced height, and the openings 10 are preferably of slightly greater diameter than the external diameter of the` bushing 11. By providing clearance between the bearing block arms 9 and the bushing 111, the latter is relieved from wear due to movements of the block and all buifing shocks are communicated directly from the coupler shank section 1 to the bearing block 5. In assembling the coupler the bearing block 5 is placed over the end of the shank member 1 and the bushing is driven or pressed into place, the opening 2 in the coupler member 1 being of such size that the bushing fits tightly therein. Not only doe'sthe bushing 11 serve to `connect the forward and rearward sections of the coupler but it also serves to prevent the tail pin 16 from communicating wear to the coupler arts.

The yoke 12 which is preferably used in conjunction with the coupler is provided with the usual spaced arms 13 for receiving the cushioning unit which, in the present instance is illustrated diagrammatically in the drawing by the diagonal dot and dash lines 14. At their forward ends the arms 18 of the draft yoke are formed with openings 15 to receive the vertically extending pivot pin 16 by which the coupler and yoke are operatively connected, the openings 15 preferably being elongated longitudinally of the yoke to form slots enabling the pivot pin 16 to travel rearwardly with respect to the yoke for a distance corresponding to the full bulhng' movement of the coupler. ToV prevent spreading the yoke arms are preferably connected at their forward ends by side walls 17 which may advantageously be provided with oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots 18 which are so located and are of such size as to be adapted to receive a standard key. This permits a coupler having a standard sha-nk to be used for repairs or renewals whenever a coupler of the jointed type herein disclosed is unavailable.

The tail pin 16 by which the coupler and yoke are connected may conveniently be retained in assembled position by means of a headed pin 19 which passes through a suitable opening 20 in the lower end of the pin 16 and the forward follower of a draft gear associated with said yoke and having forwardly extending arms embracing a portion of said coupler shank member, said arms of the bearing block and said shank member being provided with concentric openings, and a tail ,pin extending through said openings and through the slots of said yoke, said shank being of substantially uniform height throughout in advance of its said portion of reduced height, and the upper and lower sur- .faces of said block being substantially in alinement with the correspondingl faces of said shank.

2. A car coupler involving a shank member having a pivot pin opening therein and a curved rear end, a rigid bearing block having a rear face adapted to engage the forward follower of a draft gear and having a curved face cooperating with the curved face of said shank member, said shank being of reduced height at its rear end, said bearing block having perforated portions vertically overlapping the portion of said shank of reduced height, and a bushing extending through said pivot pin opening ofthe shank member and forming a pivot pin for connecting said bearing block to the shank member and for retaining said shank member and block in assembled relation, said bushing being adapted to receive a pivot pin for connecting the coupler to a draft yoke, and said shank member in advance of its said reduced end being `of a height throughout substantially equal to thel height of said block.

In testimony whereof we'aix our signatures. A.

i l VVILLIAB J. REGAN. vENOCH GEORGE, Jn.

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